Flight Paramedic Salary

Flight paramedics are undoubtedly and indispensable part of the medical team, as this takes more than just being a regular paramedic in an ambulance. Flight paramedics need to be highly trained and certified as either Flight Paramedics or in Critical Care Emergency Transport Paramedic. However, all the extra training and certifications will certainly pay off, as these professionals have salaries that range anywhere between $30,000 to as much as $53,000 a year in the United States of America, or even more.

Pay Scale In Different Parts Of The United States of America

The payment for flight paramedics varies greatly across the United States of America, and the highest paying state at the moment is undoubtedly the District of Columbia, where these health care providers make around $50,000 a year. In Hawaii, flight paramedics are also very well paid as they earn around $49,000 a year, while those who work in Washington DC should expect to make around $47,000 a year. In West Virginia, however, the salaries are slightly lower than the national average, as these health care providers are typically paid less than $30,000 a year.

Flight Paramedic Job Description

As the name suggests, a flight paramedic is a professional who works in a medical emergency evacuation mission. It is the duty of the flight paramedic to carefully assess the overall health condition of the patient and then to provide critical care for trauma patients and medical emergencies. These health care providers are trained to work in a variety of different aircrafts, although they are mostly found in medical helicopters or propeller aircrafts. The flight paramedics are extremely important in the medical team, and they usually work closely with other providers like flight nurses, doctors and physicians as well as different respiratory practitioners and surgeons. In spite of the fact that the name of the position suggests that these paramedics work in aircrafts, it is not uncommon for them to work in virtually any other mobile health care providing unit.

The duties and responsibilities of a flight paramedic vary, as these professionals need to provide on the site emergency medical services to those who have suffered an extensive trauma or injury. It is the duty of the flight paramedic to diagnose the patients, to help them recover and to stabilize them after an accident. Then, it is the duty of the flight paramedic to carefully transport the patients to a qualified health care facility.

These professionals administer medications and, in some cases, they may even perform on the site surgeries. Flight paramedics usually deal with a variety of injuries, from wounds and blood circulation problems to problems of the airway, cardiac arrests, first second and third degree burns, spinal injuries, bone fractures and so on.

Last, but not least, it is also the duty o the flight paramedic to be familiar with different advanced medical devices that can save the life of the patient, such as IV drips, cardiac monitors, heart monitors, defibrillators, airway management devices, medical kits and such.

How To Become A Flight Paramedic?

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In 2017, workers with a bachelor's degree or higher had almost twice as muchmedian earnings per week than workers with only a high school diploma*.

*Bureau of Labor Statistics

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Becoming a flight paramedic does take a lot of training, as this is anything but easy. The first step is finding a reputable school that offers Emergency Medical Services classes and to meet the eligibility requirements. It is very important to make sure that the school is accredited!

Throughout the course of the training, you will learn everything you need to know about physiology, anatomy, mathematics as well as the basics of life support. There are four levels of EMT and you will need to be familiar with all of them, and to pass all the state certification exams. Experience is extremely important for your future career as a flight paramedic, this is why it is highly recommended to get practical experience (at least 24 months of hands-on training) right after you finish your theoretical training.

Certification

Throughout your training as a flight paramedic, you will need to get several certifications. Paddle training, advanced cardiac life support certification, cardiopulmonary resuscitation certification or critical care paramedic certification are only a few of the most important ones.

Flight Paramedic Salary In Canada, Australia And The United Kingdom

In Canada, the median yearly salary of a flight paramedic is of little over Cad$100,000, while in Australia it barely exceeds Au$60,000 and in the United Kingdom it typically ranges between 25,000 and as much as 28,000 a year.

Verdict On Paramedic Salary

To summarize, the salary of a flight paramedic is quite rewarding and motivating, and the payment depends a lot on the geographical location and the living costs.